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The 5 Powerful Ways The Plank With Strengthen Your Core

 

…the 5 reasons why you need do the plank every day!


By Kevin DiDonato MS, CES—Level 1 Certified Precision Nutrition and Certified Personal Trainer


If you’ve stepped foot in a gym recently, you may have seen one (or more) people still doing sit-ups and crunches to strengthen their abs.

But the sad part is: They're wasting their time!

You see, sit-ups and crunches are outdated exercises, being replaced by more conventional exercises to strengthen the core and give definition to your abs.

So, if you’re still doing crunches in order to get that six-pack look, then you should seriously consider retiring those exercises and replace them with this one particular exercise.

The PLANK!  You see, trainers all over the world are moving away from crunches and sit-ups for ab development.

Not that they don’t give you a burn, but they put way too much stress on your lower back, leading to numerous overuse injuries or strains in the lower back.

Who needs that?  No one is the correct answer!  That’s why more and more people are turning to the plank in order to give their CORE—and their entire body—a much different and more intense workout.

Not sure if the plank is for you?  I would like to give you 5 different reasons why you should ditch the crunches and sit-ups and hit the plank instead.

The 5 Reasons Why the Plank is Better Than Crunches

There are many different reasons why you should move away from doing crunches or sit-ups for ab development and focus more on the plank.

Not only does it help strengthen your ENTIRE body, the plank also does the following 5 things:

1. Develops Your Core

Most people do crunches or sit-ups to develop their core, attack their abs, and develop the six-pack ab look.

However, those aren’t the only exercises you can do.

The plank—which again, focuses on your entire body—stresses your core without adding too much negative strain on your lower back.

The focus of the plank is for core strength—which you will get plenty of the longer you hold this pose.

2. Less Stress on Your Lower Back

If you find that the exercises you’re doing for your core are hurting your lower back, then you may be doing them wrong.

Or shouldn’t be doing them at all!  Crunches and sit-ups, due to the way they are performed, may cause more low back pain and injuries than most exercises.

If you’re looking to attack your core, but don’t want to do crunches, then the plank would be the best option.

Not only will the plank strengthen your core, it could alleviate stress to your lower back, therefore cutting down on low back pain and injuries.

3. Faster Metabolism

Most people don’t think they will lose fat just by doing the plank—but you can!

Since the plank is a full-body exercise, there will be more muscles recruited during the exercise.  Doing the plank will help develop a strong core, which could translate to more calories burning during exercise and at rest.

(More muscle mass could increase your metabolic rate so you burn more calories throughout the day.  Want another way to burn calories and torch unwanted belly fat?  If so, you need to see this amazing breakthrough.)

4. Better Posture

Have you ever heard of texting neck?  How about forward posture?  Many people who have desk jobs tend to have problems with their posture.

From rounded shoulders and tight chests, to tight hamstrings and hip flexors, sitting for prolonged periods of time really makes an impact on your posture.

Well the plank can help!  Since the plank is a full body workout, your entire body will be strengthened.

That means your shoulders (due to making sure the shoulder blades are locked in the back), arms, legs, back, and core will all get stronger, making it much easier to improve your posture.

5. Flexibility will Improve

Another cause of lower back pain could come from tightness in your hamstrings or other areas of your body.

Luckily, the plank could take care of that problem!  Remember, the plank works all the muscle groups in the body.

But, depending on the position you hold, the muscles in your arms, shoulders, legs, and back may feel quite a stretch.

This could improve your flexibility and reduce low back pain and strain.

3 Easy Plank Variations to Start WIth If You're New To Planking

If you’re new to planks, here are some of the easier variations to start with.  Remember, the plank is a full-body workout that uses your legs, back, hips, and shoulders—so you might feel sore after doing it.

But don’t worry…the more you do it, the better you’re going to feel.  And…

The more you do it, the better you will be at doing them.  So, give these 3 variations a try:

1. The Forearm Plank

This is probably the most popular version of the plank.  You start on your forearms and you feel the burn straight through your entire body.  You can do this exercise both from your knees or with your legs fully extended.  If you’re new to doing the plank, I would start from the knees and progress from there.  If you’re new to doing it from the knees, make sure your hips are parallel to the floor and you’re not in a tabletop position.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Lie on your mat with your forearms under your shoulders, hands fully extended, and your body lengthened (or from your knees).

2. Tuck your tailbone and engage your glutes, hips, triceps, and abs to prevent any type of arching in your lower back.

3. Tuck your toes under and lift your knees so your body forms a straight line.

Hold for anywhere between 30, 60, or 90 seconds.  The longer your hold it, the stronger your core will become.

2. Side Plank

This is a great exercise to really develop a strong core.  It taxes your shoulders, obliques, and your lower back—making it one of my all-time favorites (that I don’t do very often). 

Here’s how to do the side plank:

1. Lie on one side, keeping your elbow directly under your shoulder and your arm flat.

2. Keeping your knees on the ground and stacked (one on top of the other), raise your hips off the group until your body is in a straight line.

3. Try placing your hand on your hip and lifting it towards the ceiling.

4. Squeeze your glutes and hold for time.

Now, to make this harder, you can unstack your legs and lift your hips until your body is in a straight line.  This places more stress on your entire core, so you get stronger while dying from the burn.

3. Forearm to Full Plank

This one gives you a different type of workout.  It includes the chest and more shoulder work, but your core really takes a beating.

It’s one of the easier planks to perform since your arms are fully extended like the finishing position for a push up.

Here’s how to perform the forearm to full plank:

1. Start in normal forearm plank positions, with your forearms directly under your shoulders, hand outstretched, and your arms forearms flat on the ground.

2. Tuck your tailbone and lift your body into forearm plank position with your entire body lengthened.

3.. Move and straighten one arm first, and then the other, until you’re in full plank position, making sure to keep your glutes engaged to prevent rounding of your lower back.

4. Return to start position and repeat—getting faster with each motion.

Plank to the Rescue

If you’re looking to get stronger…have a rock-solid core…or cut down on simple aches and pains, the plank may be your solution.

This exercise is simple to perform allowing for your entire body to be worked as one unit.

But that’s not all it does…

The plank may also stimulate FAT LOSS by strengthening and building your core, making you a metabolic machine.

And speaking of metabolic machines…

Did you know there’s a simple way to increase your metabolism and burn unwanted belly fat?  It’s true!  But that’s not even the best part…

If you think doing endless bouts of cardio…or even spending a few minutes pushing yourself to extreme levels is the answer—it’s not.

This solution, found on the next page, takes little to NO effort at all and takes about as much time to complete as it would take you to finish reading this sentence.

Does it sound appealing?  If so, just click the big NEXT PAGE button below and discover for yourself the simple, painless solution to losing weight, stripping layer after layer of belly fat, and achieving your ideal body—in as little as 6 to 8 weeks.


 

 

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